CCAC Fall Extravaganza a Success

Thursday, November 9, 2017

By Jane Gatewood, Special to the Times-Democrat

About 100 patrons and members were on hand for this year's CCAC fall event

TD photo/Jane Gatewood

The Clay County Arts Council’s Fall Extravaganza entertained approximately 100 guests at the Piggott Community Center this past Friday evening, Nov. 3. During the event, over 90 silent auction items donated by area merchants were offered for the highest bid, with the proceeds funding scholarships offered by CCAC each May.

Tracy Cole, vice-president, announced that CCAC’s first Arts Inclusion Grant to a teacher who integrates any of the arts into their curriculum has been awarded to Penny Toombs, PACE teacher at Piggott Schools.

“CCAC is happy to find a teacher who sees the benefit of integrating the arts into a variety of curricular areas,” Cole said in making the presentation. Fellow teacher Cathy Norred read an acceptance statement from Toombs who noted in her remarks, “a number of students are raising money to attend the Broadway show Wicked! at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis. The grant will go into the ticket fund for the trip. My students and I are so grateful to CCAC for awarding us their first arts inclusion grant.”

After dinner, served by Madpie’s in Piggott, the mother-daughter duo of Sherry Jennings and Chrissy Pazanowski from Rector entertained the crowd with their signature familial blend on two special numbers, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Tale as Old as Time,” from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Larry Norred handled music and lighting for the show.

Models, the youngest at age 13 months, offered current trends in outfits with accessories to encourage shopping local in Corning, Piggott and Rector. Casual fashion was the theme this year with comfort and style combined primarily in leggings with flowing tops accented with sleeveless vests or long sweaters.

Christina Cox won the raffle item, an Arthur Court grape design punch bowl and ladle. Of the prize she noted, “I always have punch when I have any kind of party, so I am very happy to win this gorgeous bowl. I love it!”

Sue Wallace won the door prize, an Arthur Court antler based, scalloped edge salad bowl with serving pieces. Both items were donated to CCAC by Piggott State Bank.

The proceeds from the annual silent auction go directly into the scholarship and grants fund. This year, nearly $2,000 was raised by the silent auction alone. In response, the CCAC offered their thanks for the generosity of the communities in Clay County for their support for the auction.

“Without the support of patrons such as yourselves, we could not offer events like the upcoming Night of Chocolate and Mystery Dinner Theater,” Cole said in closing. “We could not give scholarships totaling $7,500 (in 2017), and we could not expand our programming into the schools by offering teacher arts inclusion grants. We thank you all.”